10-15-2009, 03:30 AM
Well said, Xenophon!
I wrote a much longer post, and I have deleted it, as I would only offend without educating. Suffice it to say--Ruben, the line you defend does not--to me--exist. Archaeology has dirty hands. As a discipline, it has always been ready to serve the needs of political masters and cultural bias. From the standpoint of historiography, archaeology has a poor record--very poor. As the technology to "see" into the ground improves, I'm one of those people who hopes that all digging is stopped and forbidden--and all the artifacts studies where they ought to have been left--in situ, and in the ground--except in rare cases and rescue. Soon enough, 3D imaging will allow us to "see" the helmet inside the tomb. Perhaps we won't see the painting on the wall. So be it--we'd probably only ruin it, anyway. Let's leave it there until we have the technology to map sites and digitize them--so nothing more is lost by the amateurish efforts of grave-looters--whether paid by a university or a collector.
I wrote a much longer post, and I have deleted it, as I would only offend without educating. Suffice it to say--Ruben, the line you defend does not--to me--exist. Archaeology has dirty hands. As a discipline, it has always been ready to serve the needs of political masters and cultural bias. From the standpoint of historiography, archaeology has a poor record--very poor. As the technology to "see" into the ground improves, I'm one of those people who hopes that all digging is stopped and forbidden--and all the artifacts studies where they ought to have been left--in situ, and in the ground--except in rare cases and rescue. Soon enough, 3D imaging will allow us to "see" the helmet inside the tomb. Perhaps we won't see the painting on the wall. So be it--we'd probably only ruin it, anyway. Let's leave it there until we have the technology to map sites and digitize them--so nothing more is lost by the amateurish efforts of grave-looters--whether paid by a university or a collector.
Qui plus fait, miex vault.
